Farmhouse Master Bedroom

 Welcome to one of my favorite rooms of our new house!

We took a risk with the intense paint color, but we haven't regretted it for a second!

 With a huge white headboard and white bedding, the color is a perfect contrast.
  Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik (SW 7602)

I wanted to add a pop of color and I love a bold pattern... in small amounts so Premier Prints Chipper in chartreuse from Fabric.com was the answer for me.

To save money and leave my options open (because you know I love change) I chose to just add a topper to the Ikea Ritva panels.  I didn't even sew them together.  The curtain rod rings hold both pieces of fabric (curtain and topper) together.  To let the light in, we currently have Ikea sheers behind the heavier curtains.  I can sleep through daylight with no problem, but my sweet man is thinking that some blinds will be a better choice soon.

 Another way we saved money was refurbishing the lamps.  Two buffet lamps from Kirklands were hanging out in the attic.  I didn't like the color or the shade, but the tall height was perfect for our super high bed.

A coat of metal spray paint and two new shades were all they needed:

Total cost for "new" lamps: $15

Eventually I would like to paint all of the wood furniture white.  When I have lots of time on my hands I'll paint my furniture and learn to quilt.  For now, I've learned to accept love it as it is.

If I ever want to change the feel of the room I could easily do so with just a few toss pillows (wouldn't coral be fun?!) and new fabric on the windows.  But for now, the blue and green are soothing and happy.

Easy Mod Podge Flower Craft

 Ready for something easy, fun, and ADORABLE?!  We did this craft with a couple of my girls' friends and I couldn't have been more happy with how they turned out.

Supplies:
   blank canvas (we used 12x12)
   mod podge
   scrapbook paper
   acrylic paint
   sponge brush

 I googled "flower petal template" and printed off two different sizes of the same petal to use as my pattern.  We went through our old scrapbook paper and chose some fun, bright colors with small patterns.
Michaels sells 12x12 in packs of 7 for $20.  With my 50% off coupon, it was a CHEAP craft!  Woot woot!

The hardest part was deciding the background color.  Once the girls got over that hurdle, the fun began.  I let them decide how many flowers and what size they wanted their flowers to be.  The only advice I gave them was that the center of the flower didn't necessarily have to be in the center of the canvas.  I think it looks more whimsical to have it off centered.

I love how different each one turned out.  The girls' personalities really fit their art designs.  

 This is the one my daughter made for her new zebra and pink room.  Love.

My son wanted to get in on the painting part, so I let him choose a color and paint my canvas.  He chose Poppy Red.  Double love.

 Directions:
1. Paint canvas with color of your choice.  Personal opinion: the bright colors look best
2. Cut out petals out of regular weight paper (not cardstock)
3. When paint is dry, arrange petals.
4. Using sponge brush, "paint" bottoms of petals with Mod Podge to make sure they adhere as the MP dries.
5. Generously cover entire canvas with Mod Podge.
6. Enjoy your masterpiece!

*I am not affiliated with ModPodge.  Just have a slight obsession!

I'm joining the party at Imparting Grace, 504 Main, Common Ground

Master Bath Reveal (Sherwin Williams Sea Salt)

 This is my oasis; the place I step away from my role as mother, farm wife, teacher, and counselor.  This is where I unwind, read a book, pray, and relax.

I almost said "no" to a tub.  I am so glad I didn't.  Living on a farm gives me sore muscles and sometimes all my other roles give me a tired brain.  I never used the jets in my last tub, so we chose a soaking tub.  At 69", she's long and narrow.  Hmm... sounds like the body shape I've always wanted. ;)

 I've never had a hand-held sprayer in the tub.  Isn't this little contraption just adorable?  All fancy and farmy rolled up in one!  With "Westminister" and "Victoria+Albert" inscribed on the faucet, I feel a little British too.  ;)

My husband wasn't quite sure about the purpose of a chandelier over the  tub.  I explained that it gave me a little girly space and helped me relax.  He's a sport and went with it.  You know, happy wife = happy life.  He's a firm believer.

 I found the curtain rod on clearance and couldn't resist adding a lil' bit more bling.

To the left of the tub is the shower and my sink.  The opening for the shower is very tall, so we used a regular (extra long) window curtain.  So far, so good!

Our countertops are shiny black granite.  The tile backsplash is glass/marble.  To save $$, we cut 12" tile sheets in half and created a 6" backsplash.

I found these Martha Stewart drawer pulls and knobs on clearance at Home Depot for $1.50 apiece.  Can you believe that??  I love how big and chunky they are.

To the right of the tub is the toilet room and my husband's sink.

We traded the linen closet, on the original house plan, for separate sinks.  We need our own elbow room more than a closet for towels, so I repurposed my mother's china cabinet.  On moving day my husband noticed it in the bathroom and said, "We're keeping our fine china in the bathroom??!"  No, but it is the perfect space for toiletries and sundries.  I still need to get one shelf out of storage and we need to replace the glass in the door, but other than that, I'm thrilled with her new identity.

As with every project around here, we were on a tight budget.  However, it can be an oasis without costing a fortune.
Here are the details:
Paint: Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
Backsplash: Costco (seriously, can you believe it?!)
Mirrors: Home Goods
Chandelier: Ikea
Vanity lights: Home Depot
Curtains: Ikea "Matilda"
Curtain Rod: Bed Bath and Beyond

I'm linking up with 
Elizabeth & Co
Grace at Home
Southern Savvy Style
Common Ground
No Minimalist Here
From My Front Porch to Yours
Timewashed
The Vintage Farmhouse
French Country Cottage
At the Picket Fence

Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal (with details!)

 My kitchen is complete, just in time for fall baking!  The tile guy finished up the backsplash yesterday and I couldn't wait to make some pumpkin bars.

We wanted to go with the farmhouse look, without looking too country.  One of the most important design elements on my list was a window over the kitchen sink.  It was on the list even before we knew it would be overlooking a pond.  There's just something soulful-happy about a big kitchen window.

The only request my husband had for the design was simple: two dishwashers.  Who can argue with that??  Yes, we keep them busy!    

I love, love, love the divided farmhouse sink.  It's deep but not so deep that it hurts my back to wash dishes.

 The black and white maintains the streamlined farmhouse style.  Our countertops are honed (not shiny) granite.  We had the same countertops in our last house and I never got tired of them.  Originally, I wanted the look of Carrera Marble, but we couldn't find a local granite that had only white/grey (without browns) so we played it safe and stayed with black.  No regrets.  ;)

 The other priority on our design plan was a large island that could seat several people.

We eat many meals here.  I love having the cooktop in the island.  The kids sit at the bar and chat with me while I cook.  So many good memories already!

 I found the pendant lights in the Ikea catalog and prayed they would be in stock.  Two over the island and one over the kitchen sink give plenty of task lighting.  They also make me very happy.

 The other end of the island holds our microwave and keeps the cookbooks within reach.

The kitchen and keeping room are very open to each other, so we kept the paint color the same in these two rooms.

The details (for those who care):
Paint: Sherwin Williams Front Porch
Countertops: Absolute Black honed granite
Pendants: Ikea
Cooktop: Bosch Induction (love it!!)
Microwave: Kitchen Aid
Dishwashers: Bosch
Double oven: Maytag (we're not lable loyal.... we like the best deal with the best reviews)
Backsplash: subway tile in matte white finish
Barstools: 24" from Overstock.com
Faucet: Moen Brantford
Sink: Barclay white double bowl farm house sink Fire Clay

I'm linking up with Southern Savvy Style's Wow Us Wednesday
and Common Ground and Elizabeth & Co. and No Minimalist Here and Grace at Home and The Inspired Room

New Home Details

 Thank you for your sweet words of excitement for our new home last week.  It feels like a dream.   There are still lots of little details to finish up, but it is coming together.  I finally worked up the nerve to drive a couple of nails into the walls.  Curtains are going up, but we still have sheets tacked to the master bedroom windows.  Baby steps. ;)

I thought I'd share some of my favorite little details from the house.

I bought this funky light at World Market.  I love it in our little hallway to the laundry room.

 My painter thought I was crazy when I asked him to paint my pantry door.  Crazy = happy!
  It is Sherwin Williams 6478 Watery.

I'm not quite ready to reveal my kitchen yet.  We still have the tile backsplash to finish but I will show a little peek.  Our cabinets are white cottage style (which means they rough them up a little bit to give them character so that I don't feel guilty when I put my first ding into them) with chocolate glaze to accent the edges.

 I found my kitchen knobs at Hobby Lobby for $1.50 each. They were the perfect compliment to the door knobs in the house.

The foyer holds several treasures.  The weather vane light fixture was an inexpensive find in a little mountain antique store.  A touch of black spray paint and it was ready to make its home here.  Remember the stained glass window?  She looks beautiful with new trim, allowing light to spill in from my laundry room.

 I have to mention the rug.  It's a 5x7 rag rug that I found at Ross last week.  For $10.99.  Seriously, can you believe that price?!  I love the pops of color that match the picture (from Art.com)

My painter equally thought I was crazy when I said I wanted a Robin's Egg/ Tiffany blue door.  Once it was done, his thoughts: "Muy bonita!"

New House: Paint and Cabinets Make My Day

 My cabinets were installed over the weekend.  This empty space finally feels like a kitchen...  the space where we will make many memories and yummy delights.  Two sets of doors have to be replaced because they didn't match the others but my builder/husband said that's normal. I learn as I go. ;)

 I found my knobs and pulls at Hobby Lobby.  Good news: they were a great price and I love the look.  Bad news: the pulls didn't come with screws.  Now I get to hand paint the silver screws to match the black pulls.

The exterior is coming along nicely.  Making the paint decision was SCARY.  I messed up royally on the first house we built, so I was gun shy on this one.  However, I am thrilled with the results.  Earl Grey by Sherwin Williams is a winner!  It is a clear grey, no blue or purple undertones.  Perfection.

Paint Ploys

 I'm up to my eyeballs in paint samples right now.
And I love it!
I decided to go with a cooler side of neutral this time.  Who knew there were 54,258 versions of grey?!  Most of our common areas will be very neutral this time.  I realized that I limited myself when I chose distinct colors last time around.  With a lighter, more neutral wall, I can ramp up the color (and change much more often) in my accessories.

The exterior has almost reached completion. (squeal)  I'll show pics in a couple of days.  I am over-the-moon thrilled with the results.  Whew!  I'm glad that big decision is over!

I've collected a wagon full of paint sample cards, and perused the paint vaults of multiple stores.  However, I came across something the other day that caused me to pause, pull out my phone, and snap a picture.

Empty Nest Colors.
Really?
Talk about a marketing ploy!  I guess Home Depot is realizing that the Baby Boomers still have the money.
I looked around and spied color cards for kids rooms, baby nurseries, Empty Nesters, First Time Homeowners and Victorian renovation.  To no avail, did I find the Average Family of Five Dream Home card.  So, I took 509 individual cards and decided to make my own color collection card. ;)

What's your all time favorite paint color?

Room Makeover

Last summer my daughter asked for a "new room."  She had lived with periwinkle blue and sage green her entire life.  I can't believe I kept her room the same for 9 years!  That is a record for me!  

 We scoured the PB Teen magazines and she got a general idea of the colors she liked.  Then, we did the Target version of her choices.  She chose bright navy walls (which look more royal in the picture above than they actually are) and lime green accents.  It is now one of my favorite rooms in the house.

If you are wondering about the blurry thing above her bed, it is her name in vinyl attached to an artists canvas that I painted with acrylic.  I ordered it from here.  Seriously, it is a GREAT deal!  Below is the example from her Etsy shop.  You get to choose 2 colors and all of the words that go behind the name.  SO personalized!!!
The dots on the wall came from her store too.  Total cost?  $20 for a whole wall of yumminess!

The comforter set and throw pillows came from Target.  The throw pillow covers were from their RE line for $5 each!  I love dots!

She got the green butterfly chair from Target Santa ($18).

She inherited the feather boa wreath and I love how it shows up on the dark wall.  Oh, and the desk swivel chair came from Target ($18) too.

I hesitated posting this last picture, because I rarely leave a project unfinished.  My goal is to make a little pendant flag window treatment that swoops down in front of the two windows from the top of the bookcases.  But you get the picture.

My parents gave her a "husband" for Christmas (that green pillow thing on the window seat).  I had one from childhood through college and loved him it.  Now I have the real thing and he's so much better.  :)

The colors in her room make me happy every time I go in there.  Since she did not inherit my "I-love-change-gene," it's a good thing I like it, because she will probably keep these colors until she moves out.  Well, maybe.  :)

Big Boy Room Makeover

As much as I hate to admit it, my baby is growing up. Earlier this summer he told us he was ready for a "big boy room." Ouch.

So we said goodbye to the baby blue, tractors and bunkbeds; and I started the budget hunt. We decided to reuse as much as we possibly could. See the cornice board in the picture below? My husband originally made it for the nursery with a wallpaper boarder running between the pieces of moulding. We painted over it and added the tractor wallies for the toddler years. Since it fits his window so perfectly, we decided to use it again.

This time we used mini MLB baseball pennants (package of 30 for $8.99).

We chose to do board and batten with a shelf that runs around the room. With 3/4 of the wall being white, I decided to be very bold and paint the remaining 1/4 Tricon Black (Sherwin Williams).
I can't believe how much bigger his room seems. His giant "M" came from Hobby Lobby. It was ugly-gold, but for $5 I knew it had great potential with a little spray paint.
The tall chest came from my room. It's been moved to several places in the house over the years but it was originally part of our bedroom suit. It's called a lingerie chest, but don't tell him that. ;)

This basket was a yard sale score. It was a bicycle basket with a nasty water bottle attached. Other than being dusty, it was in good condition. I just took off the attachment pieces and cleaned it up. For $3 I was thrilled. {Cheap thrills}

Remember the green locker? We just gave it a new coat of paint.

I am partial to buffalo check. I don't know why. I just love it. So when I ran across this bedding (on sale for $35) it was love at first sight. (I liked this color, too, but thought the red would go with the baseball theme better). The baseball pillow came from TJMaxx. It was like the icing on the cake.

I sacrificed my own bedside table for the makeover. He needed some extra drawer space for socks 'n stuff. We reused the lamp which I had bought on clearance at Target a few years ago. The stitching on the shade looks like baseball stitching.
In case you are wondering about the board and batten, here's the scoop: We used 8' firring strips cut into 5' lengths. Firring strips are a little more rough than trim boards but not enough to be noticeable. You didn't notice, did you? The price difference? $7 apiece for trim boards or $0.98 apiece for firring strips. Yes. BIG difference.
We spaced the strips 18" apart and tapered the ends at the base. My oh-so-smart husband created these snazzy supports for the shelf from left over pieces of 2x4's:

This desk has true sentimental value. It was my husband's childhood desk. Not just any desk. He and his grandfather made it together.
It even opens from the side for some great storage.
Total cost of the makeover: $108

Happy Birthday, "BIG" boy!